Words and Photography by Thom Hooper
If rock and roll has a beating heart, it was pounding like a jackhammer at Hangar 1819 in Greensboro on February 23rd. Foxy Shazam tore through town on their Dumpster Phoenix Tour, with support from Descartes A Kant and Moondough.
After a brief introduction from the legendary Dee Snider, of Twisted Sister fame and more, Foxy Shazam hit the stage and unleashed a kind of unfiltered, unapologetic chaos that feels increasingly rare in modern rock. Imagine Queen’s maximalist flair colliding with glam excess and punk volatility: triumphant ballads giving way to crushing heaviness, with songs like “Burn” and “Ghost Animals” landing far harder live than on record.
Frontman Eric Nally was the gravitational center, equal parts showman and wrecking ball. His voice cut through the mix with startling power and range, riding riffs that felt both vintage and immediate.
Keyboardist Schuyler White, meanwhile, played the keys like his instrument was a weapon. It was one of the most electric performances I’ve ever seen from a pianist, at one point hoisting his keyboard onto the crowd itself, who held it aloft as he continued to play. That moment captured the spirit of the night in many ways; theatrical, fearless, and confident.
Inside Hangar 1819, the atmosphere was tight, sweaty, ecstatic with the kind of small-room intensity that outshines arena spectacle. The crowd wasn’t simply watching the show; they were part of it, feeding the band’s momentum and amplifying every part of their performance. There were no lulls, only a relentless surge of horns, keys, drums, thick guitar riffs and the kind of spectacle that makes you feel like you were watching something bigger than a setlist.
Music media often loves to frame guitar bands as either revivalists or reactionaries but Foxy Shazam fits neither category. In an era where rock can feel trapped between algorithms and genre-less playlists, they’re bucking the trend by doing what many great bands have always done, challenging you and your expectations. Challenging the very notion of what a rock show in 2026 can and should be.
That’s what makes Foxy Shazam so compelling in 2026, from my perspective. While much of rock is chasing clean aesthetics and algorithm friendly approaches, Foxy Shazam lean into chaos and showmanship with a set that felt alive in a way that can’t be manufactured and is equally memorable.
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